Hydrogen Fueled Cars

What is the future of Hydrogen Fueled Cars? If you are in the market right now, is it worth to wait for them? Well, we do not expect the only-Hydrogen Vehicle to be dominant on our streets anytime soon. We expect an electric future, simply because electric cars are cheaper to produce and you do not need to implement Hydrogen fuel logistics.

All you need in a power plug in your garage. And though some companies are still investing into Hydrogen Cars, many Automakers have reduced or stopped their research and development for Hydrogen Vehicles.

So has GM reduced the program claiming that a Hydrogen vehicles would cost ten times the amount an electric vehicle would cost.

But in 2010 GM clarified that they had not completely given up on Hydrogen – Fuel Cell – vehicles and that they plan to be ready for the mass market in 2015.

Ford stopped its research completely, sting that

“the next major step in Ford’s plan is to increase over time the volume of electrified vehicles”.

And French Renault-Nissan cancelled their Hydrogen efforts. But Honda just recently presented a new model of its Hydrogen car FCX Clarity, though they expected to be ready for mass production as late as 2020. BMW hasn’t presented a new Hydrogen Vehicle since 2007, the Hydrogen 7.

But in 2009 major carmakers signed a deal to cooperate in the development of a fuel-cell electric vehicle by 2015. Also in 2009 Daimler announced plans for 100.000 fuel-cell vehicles until 2013.

The Hydrogen fueled Cars will be Electric

So for me this means that – since a fuel cell can mostly burn different fuels like natural gas, gasoline and hydrogen – Hydrogen has a future but only in a fuel-cell-electricity version. The internal combustion Hydrogen future will not come about.

The future cars will be powered by electricity, produced by different pre-fuels like nuclear, solar, hydrogen or fossil fuels. Right now the estimated number of Hydrogen powered cars in the US is only 200. And that number won’t go up anytime, at least not in this generation.

My personal take on this is that right now is not the time to wait for an electric or Hydrogen car. You should check out improving your actual combustion engine vehicle in your garage with a hydrogen car kit, reducing your costs right now without a big investment.